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Saturday, May 13, 2006

I’ve spent the morning pondering over past birthdays. I have lots of memories of special days filled with food, fun, and friends. Fantastic gifts and creative party themes filled my youngster years. I remember all of the wonderful creative cakes ordered from the Rich’s Department store bakery slathered in carefully constructed clowns, balloons, and later roses made from ooey, gooey frosting (not the new lite kind---I’m talking confectioner’s sugar and Crisco…pure indulgence). These were so special my sister and I would scrape off some of the decorations and wrap them in aluminum foil and keep them safe in the freezer until months later when we could savor our birthday cake again.

Of course I have been thinking more about those milestone birthdays------age 10 (finally…double-digits), age 15 (learner’s permit), age 16 (on my own in a car), age 18 (back in 1980 that meant being legal in Georgia----I could finally go and listen to a band and have a drink), age 21 (really legal but scary----no more Daddy support unless he offered), age 22 (wife), age 25 (mother), age 30 (oh my gosh!), age 40 (OH MY GOSH!), and now 44.

I suspect I need to get busy on that life ‘to do’ list because my next milestone---50---is looming ahead.

What’s on your life ‘to do’ list? I really want to know…so stop lurking, take a minute, sign in and clue me in. That will be, dear reader, your present to me.

6 comments:

Well, I have just a couple of years on you, but I really want to see more places. I haven't yet been to Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia or even Hawaii. I want to walk along part of Hadrian's Wall, see the family "castle" in Scotland (Thistlestane, near Lauder, Maitland Family [American Lauderdale Family]), Check out Ayrs Rock and the outback, snorkle coral reefs, see the Great Wall of China and the ruins of Silk Road Cities in the Taklamakin Desert, try to find where in Eastern Poland my great grandfather immigrated from, see more of our own great country, check out southern Africa........it just takes time, money and health. I also what to survive long enough to see my son's grown up, happy and established in life. And, hopefully, be telling my 85 year old wife how beautiful she still is and keep calling her "my bride."

50 isn't something to dread, but something to look forward to. I've already passed it--and I survived! So, happy 44th, and may you reach 50 and 60 and 70, and omigosh, even 80 or 90--with grace and style, of course.

At the top of my to-do list is to quit procrastinating and to get into print the two books I've already written and the third that is is about 1/3 finished. I need some sort of self-publishing venture to supplement my meagre income as a teacher! Besides, it would be foolish of me to waste my talents as a writer by not sharing my words with others.

May this new year of your life be filled with joy and peace--and challenges! (If you're not challenged, you're probably dead!)